A Brief Note On The San José Disaster

On August 5, 2010, the world turned their eyes on the San José copper and gold mine in Chile’s Atacama Desert when more than 700,000 metric tons of rock suddenly caved in trapping 33 miners underground. Mining accidents have made the headlines before, but this one was unparalleled by the distance at which the miners were entombed and the unstable rock formation due to the mine’s age. Experts estimated the probability of locating and rescuing the missing workers alive at less than 1%. However, on October 13, the Los 33, as the miners had come to call themselves, emerged alive. The heroic response to the San José disaster unfolded in two parts: a 17‑day search to locate the miners, and a 52-day rescue, during which they were kept alive until they were pulled up to safety. André Sougarret, the mission’s leader, used a seemingly contradictory approach of control and empowerment to navigate these phases. Sougarret focused on driving work forward and looking for new ideas in unlikely places; he acted quickly, yet took time to reflect. To effectively apply this dual approach, a leader must enact the three “E’s”: envision, enroll, and engage. These tasks must be done repeatedly until the goal is reached. At any time, the focus should be on only one of the “Es”, and as the situation develops, each will become the center of attention. Sougarret epitomizes the transformational leadership style in his handling of the San José disaster. His leadership has provided business leaders with a case study on how to lead in when the situation requires enabling those around you to achieve success.

Sougarret’s leadership in the time of crisis can be characterized as a transformational leader. Authors (year) state, “times of stress and turbulence cause...

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... settings, CEOs have to command action so that they can execute efficiently and capitalize on opportunities that are often fleeting. Leaders must recognize the value of learning quickly from events and the importance of keeping updated on developing events to stay ahead of competition. To create this scenario requires leaders must nurture creativity and openness, encourage exploration and invention, and facilitate cooperation across disciplines and perspectives. To meet conflicting demands, leaders must alternate between directing action and enabling innovation. As demonstrated by Sougarret, leaders must show decisiveness, give instructions, and periodically terminate discussions so teams can get things done. Yet, leaders need to understand that other times require them to create space for innovation, encourage opposition, ask questions, and promote experimentation.